Her Gift
by Mayumi Takanashi
Summary: Ever since her visit to see Akito, Tohru's cheerful, innocent spirit has vanished...
1. Chapter 1

**Her Gift**

By Mayumi Takanashi

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_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters. 

_Author's Note:_ This takes place right after the series ends. Remember, Tohru just visited Akito, and that's really how the series ends. If you haven't completed the series, please do not read this, for I do not want to spoil the fantastic ending for you! I don't know how I could live with myself!

* * *

The day she visited Akito was a life-altering moment for Tohru Honda. Even though she had visited only yesterday, she felt that it was an eternity had passed by since she had left the Sohma Estate. So much had happened that day… 

_"I was born in order to die!"_

_"You call THIS being alive?"_

_"It's been decided, and they never even asked me!"_

Akito's bitter words ate away at her. For the first two days, she was able to put on a cheerful face. But after that, no grin would come, and the sparkle that was always in her eye was gone. She was not aware, but everyone who saw her noticed this change. Yuki, Kyo, Uo, Hana, Shigure, and everyone who knew her could see. Then she would burst out in tears if anyone so much as said, "Hi!" to her. Despite their efforts to cheer her up, Tohru would not smile. Her eyes seemed glazed…distant…sad.

Her change in attitude was first noticed at breakfast one morning.

"Ah, that smells lovely!" said Shigure, skipping happily down the stairs. Kyo and Yuki followed, rubbing their sleepy eyes and yawning noisily. They all entered the kitchen, where Tohru had her back turned to them, stirring a warm, steaming stew.

"Good morning, Miss Honda," greeted Yuki in his sweet, soft voice.

Tohru turned around, revealing her tear-streaked cheeks.

"Hey, what's up?" asked Kyo in his rare, kind tone.

Her eyes welled up with even more tears, and then she did something that took the three of them for surprise: She collapsed on the floor…sobbing loudly.

Yuki and Kyo raced to her side, carefully picking her up by her arms so as not to transform into their Zodiac counterparts. Shigure stood at the doorway, startled by this sudden outburst.

Secretly, both Kyo and Yuki wanted to be able to comfort her, give her a shoulder to cry on, to embrace her, to ease her sadness and her pain.

"Miss Honda, what's wrong?" asked Yuki, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Tohru just kept on sobbing uncontrollably, burying her face in her palms. It hurt the two boys to see her like this, but they were also worried, yet curious. They had never seen her in this state before. What had brought on his sudden mood?

"Maybe you should stay home today, Tohru," suggested Shigure, recovering from shock.

"But I-I have t-to k-keep my p-p-promise!" she cried, bursting into tears once again.

"I think you should, Miss Honda," Yuki said politely.

"Yeah," agreed Kyo.

"B-but…"

"Ah, ah, ah! No 'buts!'" interrupted Shigure. "Now you go to bed, you need some rest."

"Well, I can't really afford to miss school…" she said.

"I would be happy to bring your homework for you," offered Yuki.

"But what are you going to eat? I didn't finish breakfast…"

"I guess I'll do it," Kyo sighed.

"O-okay…" she said, crying again. Yuki and Kyo helped her up the stairs, and even went as far as to pulling the sheets over her body and fluffing her pillows. They quietly closed her door, and silently descended the stairs and left the house, their bags slung over their backs.

Shigure's stomach growled loudly, and then he realized that Kyo had forgotten breakfast.

"KYO! WAIT!"

But he was too late. He had already disappeared into the forest of trees, leaving Shigure to order take-out from a local restaurant.

_-Her Gift- _

Later, the front door flew open, two breathless teenagers standing on the threshold. Shigure, who was standing just feet away, jumped from surprise.

"How is she? Is she okay? Why was she crying? Is she getting rest? How does she feel?" Questions spewed from their mouths as Shigure tried to hush them.

"She's fine."

They each sighed with relief.

"Can we see her?" they both asked in unison.

"Yes, I believe she's up," he said cheerfully.

The boys ran up the stairs before Shigure could finish his statement.

At the landing, they walked down the hall on tip-toe toward Tohru's room. They froze right outside the door when they heard soft sniffles and a voice. Slowly and quietly, they cracked the door slightly to find Tohru with her head in her pillows…and she was crying awfully hard. They stood there, listening to what she had to say.

On her beside table was her mother's picture, and it seemed she was addressing this precious item.

"Oh, Mom, I'm so confused…"

Yuki and Kyo leaned in closer towards the door.

"I had no idea about Kyo's other form. He seems so insecure about it…oh, I was so afraid at that moment! I didn't know what to do. I know it's important to try your best to help someone else, but at that time I felt so helpless. They both seem so different after that, Yuki and Kyo, I mean. They each have qualities that the other admires, but they always argue. Anyway, when I went to see Akito, I could not believe how much anger he had locked up within him. He grabbed my hair and started to yell, like he hated the world. Like he hated himself…How can anyone despise themself so much? How? He doesn't deserve what he's been through. He was told from birth that he was supposed to die. I told him that we will all be sad. But what about Yuki? Yuki fears him. I think it has to do with a bad childhood relationship. Yuki has had a rough childhood. People tell me what kinds of relationships he's had with others. He has a hard time when it comes to getting to know people. But he gets better at it everyday. I've seen all three of them grow so much: Yuki, Kyo, and Akito, too. They've changed ever since I found out about Kyo's transformation. But ever since that transformation I haven't been as happy. I remember being so confused. I was unable to tell the real world from reality. I think what has made me like this was the memories I had that night. I thought of you, Mom. But I kept seeing you in your car. Over and over again I saw you crash. Over and over again I saw you die. But it was so real. It was so real…"

Yuki and Kyo stood absolutely still. It was as though they were paralyzed right on the spot. This was why she was so sad. Everything in her life had become so unbearable for her. But how could they comfort her? They words she said rolled through their minds like a broken record…

_"Over and over again I saw you die."_

_"Over and over again I saw you die."_

_"Over and over again I saw you die."_

Kyo kept thinking about what she said about his transformation. She had just revealed her true thoughts about that night. Those words about her mother…It was his fault that she remembered. That she envisioned it so vividly. This was more than he could bear…

Kyo turned his back on the room. He headed to where he always went when his mind was full: the roof. Obviously, Tohru needed to be alone. Besides, what could he say that would make things any better. He could not erase what she thought that night. The damage was done.

He left, but Yuki stayed behind. Tohru turned into her pillows and sobbed. Her body heaved up and down as she wept. Her mother was the reason she could not stop crying. He could only imagine what it must have been like for her right after the accident. Yuki felt so insensitive. How could he have just sat there in class when she had suddenly lost the person most dear to her? All those times she had been there for him and that day she was just another ordinary girl…It made him frustrated. He suddenly remembered Miss Uotani's words the night Tohru's friends came over…

_"…the fact that I wasn't there to help Tohru…That bothers me."_

He understood those words. For the very first time, he understood how those words felt.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ Well, kinda angsty and depressing, huh? Let me explain myself! It's 9:30 on a Sunday night and that means I have to go back to school tomorrow! I really don't like school, and there is one more week standing between me and Spring Break, so don't blame me for feeling this way! Blame the U.S. Department of Education! (Snaps back to reality.) Oops, sorry… 


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Gift**

By Mayumi Takanashi

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters.

_Author's Note:_ Once again, it's late Sunday night and tomorrow's school, so it's angsty and depressing! Just keep that in mind as you read. There will be a really sweet ending, and I'm planning on making it three chapters long, because I have a thing about doing things in odds. You know, things go in odds, like let's say you have three snowmen decorations. It looks better in three's than it two's or four's! See what I mean? Sorry…it's 9:45 pm…Also, just to warn you, Tohru is called "Princess Tohru" by someone. It may seem a little strange, but it was taken from the episode where they go to the hot spring and Yuki gives "Princess Tohru" and ribbon for White Day. Remember, she feels like a princess surrounded by Sohma princes and stuff…so, like…yeah…Strange, this note began as one sentence and now it's the longest author's note I've ever written…GO ME!

* * *

Yuki could not bear to see Tohru in this much pain. She needed someone to comfort her right now, but what could he do? Embrace her? Hold her? Wrap his arms around her? Turning into a rat would probably make her more upset. She already freaked out every time someone turned into their Zodiac animal! 

He couldn't take this much longer. How could he leave her when she needed him most? Tohru was always there for him, and it was time to return the favor.

Slowly, cautiously, quietly, he slid open the door and strode over to her bed. Her face was buried in the pillow, so she couldn't see him. Her sobs drowned out all noise, so she couldn't hear him.

Yuki kneeled beside the bed and gently touched her hand. Startled, she jerked her head up just inches from Yuki's face. They stared at one another for a moment, and then he leaned up and kissed her forehead. Stroking her soft, brown hair, he spoke to her.

"I'm here, Princess Tohru, I'm here," he breathed.

Tohru simply stared wide-eyed at the boy in front of her. His kindness touched her heart, and she felt some of her grief ease away.

"Thank you," she whispered softly. The tears came again, and Yuki sat down on the bed beside Tohru, stroking her cheek and wiping the tears away.

_-Her Gift-_

The next day at school, Shigure allowed Tohru to attend school. Hana and Uo had been dying to see her, since the last time they talked was at her mom's gravestone. It was awkward because they had seen her in tears of pain, which they had never seen Tohru cry that way.

Also, Momiji and Hatsuharu had heard of the events that had recently happened: Kyo's transformation, the visit to Akito, and Tohru's fits of tears. Momiji had been looking all around the school this morning in his search for Tohru. Haru obediently followed. When they saw her, Momiji immediately bounded up to give her a hug, but one menacing glare from Kyo and Yuki was enough to make him stop in his tracks.

"How are you feeling, Tohru?" asked Momiji in a kind manner.

Her lip began to quiver, and after a few moments was lead away by Yuki to a tree across the yard, leaving Kyo, Momiji, and Hatsuharu to gaze after them.

"Please, you don't need to cry, I'm here," explained Yuki in a soothing tone.

Tohru kept on sobbing.

"All he wanted to know was if you were feeling alright."

"Um, I think I'd like to be alone now…" she said, the tears running down her cheeks.

"I understand, go right ahead."

She sprinted across the grass, her hair whipping behind her, her tear-stained face hidden behind her hands.

Yuki saw Uo make to chase after her, but then heard a distant Hana telling her, "She does not want company at the moment."

_-Her Gift-_

Yuki strolled to the boy's bathroom to splash himself with cool water. It felt refreshing, as if he was washing his problems and concerns down the drain. He wondered when the time would come for Tohru to experience this feeling.

When he strolled back out to his group of cousins, he noticed Shigure striding up the pathway to the main entrance of the school. Yuki caught up with him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked him.

"A teacher called me to come and get Tohru," he responded in an urgent tone.

"Nothing has happened to her, has it?"

"No, it's just that they told me that she looked distraught, and thought that she shouldn't have come to school today."

"Tell her I'll get her homework again."

"Sure. I'll see you after school," said Shigure, walking into the Principal's Office.

The bell had rung, and Yuki headed to class. He purposely took a seat next to the window so he could see Shigure escort Tohru to the car. They drove off and disappeared behind a cherry blossom tree.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ Was that okay? I thought I should add a little TohruxYuki romance. It made me so sad at the end of the series when they didn't hug or kiss or do anything! The series led up to a non-existent love relationship! Does anyone understand my pain? Please let me know, for we can sit in a world of Fruits Basket despair together! I want more episodes! Who's with me? 


	3. Chapter 3

**Her Gift**

By Mayumi Takanashi

* * *

_Disclaimer:_ I do not own Fruits Basket or any of its characters. 

_Author's Notes:_ Something bad is going to happen in this chapter. I mean really bad. No, I'm not joking; it's really bad. You should be able to figure it out when you read it. It happens real sudden. Also, once again, it is very angsty, and I know this even though I have not written the chapter. How do I know this? Because it's Monday and we all know what those are like. Tomorrow is an orthodontist appointment, so I'm really…well…those of you with braces or other metal appliance in your mouth know how those days can make you feel. So anyway, here goes the last chapter…

* * *

The very moment the school bell rang, Yuki and Kyo were the first to open the large double doors at the school entrance. Every other student filed out of the large building at a slow, sleepy pace, but two Sohma boys raced out ahead of the others and did not stop running until they reached their home. 

They almost tore down the delicate doors as they entered the kitchen, where Shigure sat reading the paper.

"Oh, do try to be more careful!" he exclaimed with an air of desperation. "You know very well that we don't have the kind of money to rebuild this place every single day!"

"Where is she?" they asked loudly.

"You two have such a habit of worrying over our little flower entirely too much," Shigure told them, shaking his head.

"WHERE?" they bellowed.

"Oh, my!" said Shigure in a small voice. "U-upstairs…"

They each sprinted up the stairs and burst into Tohru's room where she sat on her bed, holding her mother's picture in her hands.

"Have you been crying again?" asked Kyo, rolling his eyes.

Tohru's lip quivered, then she startled them both by suddenly breaking out into tears.

"You stupid cat!" whispered Yuki. "Could you be more insensitive?"

"Ah!" he replied, rushing to Tohru, leaving Yuki as he accidentally scolded the wall.

"Don't cry!" he said, panicking beside her bed.

"I'm s-sorry, K-Kyo…" she whimpered helplessly.

"Look," he said, taking a deep breath and talking in a calm voice, "You really need to pull yourself together! It's driving everyone nuts, listening to you cry and cry and cry even more! For your own sake, stop freaking out all the time!"

At this, she started to bawl even harder.

"I don't like it when you're sad. And besides, I don't think your mom would want you to be sad, either."

Kyo ran his fingers through his hair as he glanced away from Tohru. She instantly stopped crying, and stared at Kyo as if she had never seen him in her life. To escape Tohru's penetrating gaze, he walked to the corner of the room and leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest.

"I-I can't help it…" she breathed, climbing out of bed. Her uniform was still on her, but her hair looked unbrushed and her once rosy cheeks seemed ghostly pale.

Yuki stared at her. This looked so familiar…Was it because she had the same look on her face the night of Kyo's transformation? Her eyes…her eyes had the same glazed look, and her clothes seemed to hang loosely on her skin. The air around her seemed frightened, confused, disoriented. When she walked, her body swayed unsteadily, and she stumbled forward, unbalanced. She could not hold herself up any longer, and fell to the floor in a heap. Yuki rushed forward, as did Kyo. They tried to help her up, but she resisted. Unable to do anything else, they sat there, stroking her back and her soft hair, while she buried her head into her arms, and sat in a huddle on the ground.

_-Her Gift- _

A few minutes later, they noticed Shigure come into the room very slowly. There was a solemn look on his usually goofy face. Biting his lower lip, he looked very uncomfortable, yet still grave. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but no sound issued from it. He tried again, but failed miserably. Finally, he was able to conjure up some quiet phrase:

"Can I speak to you both downstairs?"

"Yeah, sure," they replied, standing up beside the crumpled Tohru. They forced themselves to leave her, as much as it pained them.

After they had reached the foot of the stairs, Shigure turned to the two of them, but looked down at his feet.

"I just got a phone call from the downtown hospital…" His voice trailed off, and seemed unable to continue.

Yuki and Kyo stared at him as his toes wriggled in his socks. Then, with newfound courage, he looked them straight in the eyes.

"Her grandfather just had a heart attack. The doctor I spoke to said he didn't…didn't make it."

A cold shiver ran down each boy's spine. They were suddenly frozen with horror, trying to comprehend fully what was just told to them.

"I wasn't sure how to break the news to her, especially when she was lying on the floor like that."

"Someone has to tell her," said Kyo shakily.

"It wouldn't be fair to keep her from the truth," added Yuki, inhaling deeply.

None of them could imagine the reaction Tohru would have when she discovered this news. Would she cry? Or would her grief be so beyond tears that she would just sit there and let it sink in? Let the words echo in her mind? It seemed heartless to tell her know, but it seemed cruel keep her from what had just happened to the only relative she had left who cared about her.

Yuki and Kyo remembered the day they had found out about her parents' death. Her father died of sickness, her mother died from an accident, and now her grandfather was dead. How could she have possibly endured this agonizing pain for long? It now has become too much for her, and now she was being eaten away by her past. And now, what was to become of her? Now that the person she held most dearly was gone, what was to become of her?

"Let's wait a few hours. For now, let's just comfort her until the time comes," said Yuki monotonously.

_-Her Gift-_

It had been three days since Tohru found out what had happened to her grandfather. She kept herself locked up in her room, not letting anyone enter and not speaking to anyone. Momiji had come by looking for her, noticing her disappearance from school. Kisa had come along, but Tohru wouldn't see either of them. The entire household worried about her, because she would not eat, she barely slept, and whenever anyone caught a glimpse of her through a crack in the door, she appeared gaunt and disheveled.

Finally, the first of May arrived. It was the funeral of her grandfather, and the second anniversary of her mother's death. Yuki and Kyo worried about Tohru. How would she handle herself on this day?

Shigure and Kyo got dressed in black attire, intending to go to the ceremony. They decided to leave it to Yuki to see if she would go. Kyo was trying to avoid Tohru. He didn't know how to handle the way she was acting because it made him uncomfortable…and he missed the old Tohru.

"Miss Honda?" asked Yuki softly as he slid open her bedroom door.

There was no response from the lump under the quilt.

"I was, ah, just wondering what you had on the agenda for today."

No answer.

"I was just on my way to the temple for your grandfather's funeral, and I was hoping you would attend as well."

The blanket slowly shifted. Tohru's head peaked out from underneath. She saw Yuki, dressed in a black suit and holding her funeral dress in his arms, still in its dry-cleaning bag and on its hanger.

"If we hurry, we'll catch the last ten minutes of it."

He tried to act very casual about it, yet was very cautious. He did not want to upset Tohru in any way, but he was very unsure how to talk to her.

She nodded her head slowly, her face blank and her eyes unfocused. As if in slow motion, she pushed the sheets off of her frail body and stood up.

_-Her Gift-_

When they stepped outside, the rain was pouring heavily. Yuki held an umbrella over his and Tohru's head. Their pace was slow, and by the time they reached the temple, the funeral was already over.

"Why don't we visit your mother's grave?" suggested Yuki, acting casual again.

She simply nodded.

When they reached the tombstone, what they found shocked Tohru beyond belief. A whole crowd of people lined the sidewalk where Kyoko was buried. Each one held a candle, careful to protect the flame from the rain, and they all turned to face Tohru.

They were all there: Uo, Hana, Hatori, Ayame, Momiji, Kisa, Ritsu, Hatsuharu, Kagura, Shigure, Kyo, and everyone else. The looks on their faces were sad, and they all stared at Tohru with pity in their eyes.

"They're all here for you," said Yuki, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"We're all very worried about you," added Kyo, stepping forward and slipping his hand into Tohru's.

Together, the three of them walked forward, and the small crowd parted. Tohru sank to the wet ground in front of the grave. She murmured a prayer, and only she knew what it was:

"Oh, Mom, thank you so much for bringing all these wonderful people into my life. I've been such a fool over the past two weeks, and I should really be ashamed. They have given me so much, and have always been there for me. From now on, I promise you that I will not doubt myself, and I'll make up all my schoolwork that I missed, and I'll clean the house when we get home! When we get home…"

"Miss Honda?"

Tohru stood up, beaming. She felt so happy, like her mother and grandfather's spirits gave her this happiness. She wanted to share this feeling with everyone.

"How about we all go home and I'll fix everyone a great big dinner?"

* * *

_Author's Notes:_ Well, that was it, and thanks to everyone who sent in reviews! I really am happy that others understand my Fruits Basket woes! I really do hope they make a second season. If anyone starts a petition, I'll be the first to sign! I'm sorry I took so long in writing this, but I kinda got stuck after Yuki and Kyo decide not to tell Tohru about her grandfather for a while. Finally, almost a week later, I complete this fanfic and move on to the next… 


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